FrankStylV7

NOW THEN - how long until ---

a.) Someone with a conspiracy theorist's background asks Roger why he didn't sign a contract until after the first 50 games of the 2006 season, OR -

b.) Someone in MLB's or Houston's offices comes clean.

I hope to be serving up crow in the very near future.

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MajorRanger35

It's likely because Houston didn't offer Clemens arbitration after 2005, and the rules at that time said that a player couldn't resign with a team that didn't offer him arbitration until May 1. I doubt it had anything to do with steroids or HGH.

krunchyfrogg

We can only hope.

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MetfanBren

Hunsicker left at the end of 2006 pretty much without warning, but he's since taken a job in Tampa. Maybe when the latest round of Devil Ray studs blow out their elbows he'll talk...

I'm not sure how many people were actually working there when Clemens was an Astro, but I doubt anyone says anything until Junior Clemens is out of the organization, even if he's nothing but another member of the lucky sperm club. He played the crying game pretty well at their mini-camp a couple of weeks ago...

Fonzy13

This has been rumored for years since first appearing in a Sports Guy column.

I've talked about in on a radio show I host a number of times, and it never could be proven as anything more than hatred for the moron.

Until today.

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Under water grottos, caverns


Filled with apes


That eat figs.


Stepping on the figs


That the apes


Eat, they crunch.


The apes howl, bare


Their fangs, dance . .

Yes. We. Do.

FrankStylV7

I've been saying this since the winter of 2005.

__________________
"The place where optimism most flourishes is the lunatic asylum." -

Havelock Ellis

Green Must Go

Based on what is now going on, it can't be swept under the rug as coincidence.

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FrankStylV7

That's because it's NOT.

You'll see soon enough....

The guy is an egotistical competitor CRAVING every slot he moves up on the all-time wins list, actually wins a ****ing CY YOUNG AWARD and retires.

Flat.

Except then he starts negotiating a new contract with the Astros after game 50 of the 2006 season.

__________________
"The place where optimism most flourishes is the lunatic asylum." -

Havelock Ellis

15 Day DL Alou

this whole notion is based no the fact that he failed a test and needed to wait fifty days to serve his suspension in silence, with all the trouble that Bud Selig has been given, why in the world would he secretly conspire with Clemens, his agent, the astros and the medical staff of MLB to keep it under wraps?

Now if you want to tell me that Clemens did so, in order to avoid spring training random drug tests, then you have something.

FrankStylV7

Because Clemens was one of the two biggest stars in MLB at the time (the other guy was in some steroid trouble too [allegedly]).

How can you completely dismiss this after reading actual organizational scouting reports that discussed the steroid use and histories of players?

i.e. - We know that Paul Loduca is off of chemical enhancements. His bat speed has decreased to the point that his power is almost gone, and his long flies are now short line drives. May be better to trade him while his offensive history is still recent.

Possible blowback - his competitive tendencies may make him begin using performance enhancers again. It would be best to trade him outside of division.

(paraphrased)

This was an ACTUAL DODGERS INTERNAL SCOUTING REPORT!

I hate John Rocker, but when he came out saying that Selig KNEW that he failed a test, that was IT for me on this topic.

__________________
"The place where optimism most flourishes is the lunatic asylum." -

Havelock Ellis

freakzilla11

Actual quote.

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FrankStylV7

Thanks.

And if you believe that this is the ONLY internal organizational scouting report about a player, you're deluding your pollyana self.

__________________
"The place where optimism most flourishes is the lunatic asylum." -

Havelock Ellis

Gregory Gewirtz

If Selig knew Clemens was using steroids, wouldn't it have been much easier for Selig to quietly refuse to penalize Clemens instead of instituting a secret suspension? If Clemens was caught, and Selig wanted to keep it under wraps and was able to maintain secrecy all around, then why suspend him at all? What good does a secret suspension do for anybody?

I agree with 15 Day DL Alou that Clemens intentionally sitting out to avoid a test is a more plausible scenario (not necessarily one I agree with), though I certainly agree that it is likely that baseball officials on up to Selig knew much more than they have admitted so far.

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dak11

This rumor has been around for a long time.

I lend towards 15 days view that Clemens probably didn't want to get tested and the 'stros couldn't sign him until May 1st.

It's tough to believe that after all this stuff with the Mitchell report that Selig wouldn't have told him (Mitchell) about the failed test and would sit and do/say nothing with all this Clemens stuff going on now.

Piney Woods

The problem with all this grassy knoll stuff is the fact that there was nothing preventing Clemens from signing a contract at any time even if he were under some kind of double secret probation from MLB. Mike Cameron was certainly able to ink a deal with Milwaukee this winter despite having to sit out the early part of the season due to P.E.D. penalties. There was also this guy named Mota who you may recall was able to do a similar thing a year or so back.

And if a suspension was the only thing keeping Roger out of baseball that year he could have timed it all to start playing after game 50 instead of finally taking the mound for Houston's 73rd game.

And if his stated reason for starting late (not wanting to deal with the length of the season) was merely a cover-up for covert discipline, why did he do the same thing the next year?
And if THAT was a secret suspension also why did the time-frame become shorter for a second offense? (he started in game #60 for the Yanks)